Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking has so many health benefits...Why wouldn't you do it...?

1. Total body workout

The muscles used in mountain biking provide riders with a total body workout. Leg muscles are obviously getting a workout but arms and back muscles are also being worked.    Your heart, which is a large muscle is becoming stronger. It isn't just muscles that are getting a workout. Your brain and lungs gain benefits and all your internal organs benefit from the exercise.  There are very few exercise routines that help improve all aspects of the human body like mountain biking.

2. Get fit while having fun

Exercise routines can be boring. This is what causes many individuals to start missing workouts and eventually stopping them completely. Mountain biking is a great way to get fit in a fun manner.  You can vary the environment, vary the people you enjoy your activity with and modify your routine in a multitude of ways. Every time you mount your bike, you can seek a new adventure.

3. Tones muscles

Toned muscles require varied movement. You can lose weight, but if your muscles are not toned, you appear to be flabby and out of shape. Toned muscles help tighten skin, use less oxygen and make you feel more flexible.  The full body workout you receive from riding tones your muscles without causing you to look lumpy and uneven like other sports that only work a certain set of muscles. You won't only look healthy, you will feel healthy.

4. Strengthens heart and lungs

The heart and lungs are the most important organs of the human body. Mountain bike riding gives the rider a cardiovascular workout that strengthens both of these. This gives you a number of other advantages.  Your skin becomes clearer, you look younger, you feel more alert and all your body systems work better. When your heart and lungs are working at top performance level, your entire body gets the oxygen that it requires to renew itself on a regular basis. It also enables your body to fight off illness and heal any injuries quicker.

5. Easy on your joints.

Many physical activities create jarring and stress on your joints. This results in pain, and eventually things like arthritis. Riding a mountain bike is considered a low-impact activity.  Your joints are not subjected to inconsistent movement and are not subject to the stress of constant jarring like they are when you run on concrete.  The consistent motion your joints experience help keep them flexible, allowing you to stay flexible longer than many people do.

6. Increases brain power

One of the most unexpected benefits that people discover about mountain bike riding is the increased brain power that they experience. Part of this is due to the increased ability of your lungs to reach your brain.  As oxygen levels increase, the brain is able to work quicker, stay healthier and fight off many of the things that lead to strokes or dementia. In addition, riding helps clear your mind of problems, allowing you to feel a greater sense of peace.  This leads to a clearer look at things and an added ability to see solutions that may have been elusive. Finally, your mind becomes quicker at making decisions as you learn to navigate trails that may have debris that needs to be avoided.

7. Improves coordination and balance

Mountain biking helps improve coordination and balance as you need to learn to have hands, feet, and eyes all working together to keep your bike straight or make unexpected turns.  If you want to do tricks and jumps, your skill is even improved further as you look ahead to plan before you attempt your moves. Balance is essential when riding any bicycle but even more essential when you navigate uneven trails.  The risks of mountain biking, such as falling and crashing, are greatly reduced as your coordination and balance improve. This translates into your body being more coordinated in all activities you undertake, both on and off the bike.

8. Sleep better

You won't sleep better just because you are physically tired, although that is one reason. Sleep will be easier and deeper because of many of the other benefits of mountain bike riding.  As your mind becomes more clear and your stress level falls, your body will fall into a natural sleep that helps revive you in a manner that you may not have experienced for sometime. Life is full of stress, both minor and major, that add up over time.  This reduces the quality of your sleep. This low quality sleep, in turn, decreases your ability to handle stress. It becomes an unending cycle.  After only one good ride, you will find your mind feeling less burdened and your sleep deeper. With regular riding, your sleep will become more regular and healing.

9. Lose weight

Losing weight will occur as you increase your muscle and burn fat. The regular motion involved in riding at even a slow pace will make losing weight easy and painless.  If you find it has been difficult to drop those last five pounds or you are looking at losing a hundred pounds, mountain bike riding gives you a fun, painless way to see those pounds melt away.  All weight loss programs are a mixture of healthy eating and regular exercise. Mountain biking will take care of the exercise and many regular riders find that as they start feeling healthier, they are drawn to eating healthier foods without consciously choosing such.

10. Increase metabolism

One of the reasons weight loss is easier when you partake in regular mountain bike rides is that your metabolism increases. Other benefits of increased metabolism are fewer feelings of exhaustion, a clearer mind, and more overall energy.  Your body will perform at a greater level, making you feel energized and healthier. A healthy metabolism benefits your hormones, neurotransmitters and every other body system, creating a cycle of health that lasts long after you put your bike away for the night.

Source: Mountainbikesonly.com